


For a Little Longer

by Luacridcy



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Bodyguard Romance, F/M, Modern AU, Nalu - Freeform, idk how to tag, nalu au, natsu and lucy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:00:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27406966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luacridcy/pseuds/Luacridcy
Summary: Lucy sneaks out for a girls night at the local club. She runs into a rowdy group of friends and takes a liking to the pink haired flirt, Natsu. The two enjoy each other's company but depart thinking their paths will never cross again.However, one day, Lucy is met with Natsu standing in her father's study and their relationship becomes anything but normal. Forced to now be with one another 24/7 the two must deal with their fated encounter, without overstepping the boundaries...but are their pasts inexplicably intertwined?
Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia
Comments: 68
Kudos: 310





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ!
> 
> Hi everyone! A quick note, I am simply doing this for fun. I usually color manga panels, but wanted to give writing a go again. This started off as a one shot I wasn't going to post, but thanks to some friends, it turned into something more. So I apologize if the beginning seems a bit off and long. I hope you stick around and enjoy my little story. I already have 10 chapters written out!
> 
> Big thanks to my proof-readers: @Lokeluvr @Zippi44 @Lxshi

CHAPTER 1

Lucy was not having fun. As she twisted and pushed her way through the packed, sweaty crowd, she could feel the bass of the music thump through her chest. The strobe lights, fog machine, and music filled all other senses while she made her way to her main goal. The bar.

She and her friends had decided to go out to the local club for what was supposed to be a fun girls’ night out. She had a rough week and going out was just the cure she needed. Dressing herself with one of her favorite go to outfits. Lucy was feeling confident about her appearance. Already catching a few stares from men when her and her friends waited in line for the club.

Though, not long after entering and making their way to the dance floor, her friends had already found themselves some handsome partners to flirt with. Lucy didn’t mind. She was happy they were able to let loose with some good-looking men, but for some reason she wasn’t feeling the vibe. She decided to leave her two friends. Letting them know she’d be back. She could already feel her pre-game buzz wearing off.

“I just need a drink.” She said to herself as she pulled up to the bar and squeezed her way between a tall man and, what seemed to be, an already wasted girl.  
“One Long Island Iced Tea please!” She shouted over the thumping music, making sure her dress hadn’t rode up higher than it should on her quest to the bar, she yanked down on the back and patted her thighs.

While doing so, the drunk girl to her right had let out a loud laugh. Losing her balance, she had bumped into Lucy a few times to catch herself. Lucy could feel the sweat from the girl’s body sticking to her own. Staying calm, Lucy held her ground and let out a small sigh. Getting bumped and pushed was nothing new, but she wouldn’t say it was her favorite thing about clubbing.

After a few more bumps Lucy was starting to wonder why her drink was taking so long.

“Want to switch with me?”

Lucy looked to her left at the tall man beside her. She couldn’t help but blush as the set of deep blue eyes locked with hers and a small smirk stretched across his face. Before she could respond, the man had reached his arm around her shoulder and lightly guided her to where he was standing. His touch was cold to her hot skin, causing a small sense of relief to rush over her. Now switched, she looked back up and gave the man a small thanks.

“No worries.” He smiled. Leaning to rest his crossed arms against the counter he looked back to Lucy. “The bar area is always packed. Sometimes I feel like it’s worse than the dance floor.” He chuckled lightly.

Lucy laughed, eyeballing how his dark hair draped over his face. With his back slightly hunched, he turned his gaze back to facing the bar. Clearing her throat, Lucy mimicked his position and dipped closer so she wouldn’t have to yell too loud. “The DJ is pretty popular from what I hear… So, I was expecting more of a crowd tonight.” She admitted. The man gave a nod in agreement before receiving his drink from the bartender. Handing his card over to the barman he asked to keep his tab open. Lucy realized her drink must be coming soon if he had finally received his and turned her focus back in front of her.

“Do you come here often?” The man asked, taking a sip of his drink.

Lucy smiled, realizing he had not left her side yet. “Sometimes.”

Lucy couldn’t deny that he was attractive, the definition of tall, dark, and handsome. He had a strong, but slender build. His dark jeans paired with a white fitted button down top had caught not just Lucy’s but many other girls’ attention. After giving him a good up and down she turned back to the bar just in time for her drink to arrive.

Digging into her small purse for her card she heard the man speak up to the bartender, “Go ahead and put that on my tab.” As he grabbed her drink off the counter and handed it to her.

Lucy blushed. “You didn’t have to do that!” Taking the drink from his hand she quickly reached for the cash in her purse. She pulled out a few fives and shoved them towards him.

Pushing the offer back to her he declined. “I think we both know I won’t be accepting this.” He smiled, taking another sip of his drink.

While Lucy gathered herself the man then turned around and began to walk away. Only getting a few steps ahead he glanced back at her. “Let’s head somewhere less cramped.”

…

Natsu was enjoying himself. He was at the front of the dance floor. The music was ringing in his ears; the multi-colored lights flashing in his eyes. Some chick grinding up against him and a beer in his hand. This was the life.

He took one final gulp of his beer before tossing it onto the floor with the other empty and spilt drinks. This was the first night in months he and his friends were able to go out. Work had been keeping them all busy and Natsu's last client was a handful. He sighed as he thought back on what had to be the longest three months he had ever lived. Questioning how he got assigned to another stuck up model.

Throwing his head back and taking a deep breath in, he allowed the alcohol to rush to his head. Letting loose was just what he needed after such a taxing job.

“Where did your friend go?” The girl he was dancing with pulled him back from his thoughts. She turned around and put her arms around his neck. Natsu grinned, grabbing her hips tight. What was her name again? Abby? Lisa? Didn’t matter. Pulling the girl closer to him, “I don’t know!” He yelled over the music. “But who needs him when you got me!?” He dipped closer to her ear. Pressing his chest against hers he lowered his voice and asked, “Should I be jealous?”

The girl pulled away and Natsu was met with a very flushed face. She squealed out a quick no and pointed to her other two friends that were dancing to the side of them. “We just want our drinks!”

Natsu rolled his eyes as her friends nodded in agreement. “Oh, is that all us boys are good for? Buying you ladies drinks?” He teased. Letting go of his hold on the woman, she slipped back to dancing with her friends. One of the other girls yelled out to him.

“Can’t you go find him? We don’t want to lose our spot here.” She asked.

Natsu shook his head and sighed. Knowing it was more of a demand than a suggestion. Running his hand through his hair, Natsu responded with a distasteful “Sure” and gave them a nonchalant wave before diving into the sea of people.

…

Lucy followed her new partner through the crowd. Trying her best to keep her drink up and the bodies away. Once they reached a calmer area, Lucy rested her back against the club wall and watched the dance floor from the side. She spotted one of her friends, Erza, dancing with a couple of men. She laughed, knowing she was probably already drunk and demanding the poor souls around.

“Did you come here with friends?” The man’s voice pulled Lucy’s attention back to him as he joined her along the wall. He seemed so much taller than Lucy. Her eyes just barely levelled with his nose.

“Yeah,” She grinned, “I was just watching one of them actually. She’s the taller one with red hair.” Lucy pointed leaning to him so that his eyes aligned with her finger.

“Is she going to be okay out there alone?” He asked, dipping closer to Lucy.

“Oh yeah. She can handle herself.” Lucy replied. “Though, I do feel bad for the guys. God forbid one of them pisses her off for whatever reason.” Snickering to herself Lucy stared up at the man next to her.

“Scary.” He winced, his face seeming almost fearful before taking another taste of his drink.

“How about you?” Lucy asked, nudging his side with her elbow. “Did you come alone tonight?”

The man chuckled and shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. I came with a couple of idiot friends. I’m sure they’re around here somewhere causing mayhem.”

Sipping on her Long Island Lucy giggled, “They sound like fun!”

The man then leaned in closer to her. Their faces now only an inch apart. She could smell the cologne that clung off his clothes. It reminded her of winter. Cool and crisp. “Trust me. You don’t want anything to do with them.” He breathed. Causing Lucy to blush as she watched him look down at her lips then back up to her eyes.

“Sooo…” He drifted away slightly. “You got a name?”

Lucy felt her stomach do a small jump. He seemed like a normal polite guy. She wouldn’t deny that she found herself very entranced by him. He was so easy to talk to and hadn’t tried anything funny.

“Lucy.” She smiled innocently. Puffing her chest out and tilting her chin up. “And yours?”

With a very amused grin the man took one last chug of his drink. Stretching out his now empty hand he replied. “I’m Gray.” He grabbed onto her hand and lightly shook it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lucy. Should we head to the dance floor?”

…

“Where the fuck is he?” Natsu huffed to himself. Now standing in the middle of the floor he quickly glanced through the crowd. 

It was packed. From the front of the stage all the way back to the doors. Figures danced and intertwined against each other. Natsu shot his gaze towards the bar seeing a mass of jumbled up bodies. Trying his best to look from afar he couldn’t make out his friend within all the other shadows. Not wanting to deal with that mess quite yet Natsu decided to check out their booth. Quickly pushing through the crowd he made his way to the table he and his friends had reserved for the night.

“Hey guys!” He greeted taking note that not everyone he had come with was there. “Has Popsicle come by here at all?” Grabbing a small water bottle out of the ice bin and downing it immediately, he looked towards his friend Cana in hope of a response. 

“Nope!” She grinned. “Haven’t seen him since you two left with those chicks.” Holding a bottle of vodka in one hand she pointed across the table with the other before taking another chug of what had to be her second serving. Natsu never understood how she could handle so much liquor.

“I think Mr. Flirt saw him though.” She motioned. “Right Loke?”

Natsu looked over at Loke who was talking up one of the many waitresses. Eyeing Natsu from the side he cleared his throat. “Yeah I saw him near the restrooms. Seemed like he was enjoying himself.” He chuckled. Immediately putting all his attention back to the young waitress. 

Natsu rolled his eyes as Cana gave an apologetic shrug. Quickly looking towards the restroom he thanked his friends and made his way to his next destination. He figured Gray must have gotten too hot and wanted a break from all the dancing and people. 

To Natsu’s surprise he found Gray dancing with some blonde girl on the outer edges of the pit. “This bastard.” Natsu growled. Annoyed that his friend had ditched him, Natsu prepared for an ambush. 

…

Music echoed in Lucy’s ears as the alcohol began to seep further into her bloodstream. Gray, the man she had just met, was dancing behind her with his chest pressed to her back and his hands on her hips. There wasn’t much talking happening once they began dancing; letting their bodies speak for themselves. As she moved to the music Lucy was happy that the night was starting to get better. She took a liking to her newfound friend. He had a calm mysterious aura about him that captivated her.

Gray’s hands roamed Lucy’s body. His icy touch rolled down her hips to her thighs, squeezing the muscles lightly and causing Lucy to let out a small breath.  
She wasn’t lying when she said she comes here often. For the few times she was able to sneak out once or twice a month. Her and her friends would always come here to dance and have fun. To a place nobody knew who she was. Where she could act the way she wanted to. Some nights being just for the girls. While others lead to flirtatious encounters. Though, Lucy made sure it was nothing more than that.

She relaxed. Her head felt light and dizzy while Gray dipped his head into the crook of her neck. She pressed her hips further into him. She could feel his breath linger on her skin as his lips ghosted over the exposed flesh. The sounds around Lucy began to blur when she felt the softest kiss graze her, almost unnoticeable.

Was he teasing her or asking for permission? 

She waited, continuing to roll her hips against his. She didn’t want to assume anything yet. Placing both her hands over his own. She followed his grasp as it moved to the inside of her thighs. His large palms pressing tighter on her legs. All her senses were attracted to him, to his touch. She was in complete bliss while the heat rushed through her veins.

After a few more light kisses, Lucy caved into her desires. She twirled herself so that she was now face to face with the man that was slowly consuming her. She guided his hands to lock around the arch of her back. She noticed that his shirt was completely unbuttoned as she leaned into him and rested her hands on his bare chest. Lucy tore her eyes away from the firm muscle and glanced up to Gray. Chocolate brown meeting midnight blue. She noticed that the music had stopped, assuming the DJ was now done with his set.

She took in his features. His black hair styled perfectly to shape his pale face. He had a small scar on the top left of his forehead. Biting her lip, Lucy’s gaze crept down to his mouth as she released a shaky breath.

“Man…I’m glad I bought you that drink.” Gray inhaled, inching closer his eyes locked on her lips. 

Lucy let out a soft chuckle. Not letting her stare roam any longer. She followed Gray’s lead as she helped seal the distance between them.

“You just happened to be there at the right time…” She snickered. Trailing off, her eyelids fluttered close. Lustful anticipation for a taste of his lips. 

Though, instead of a heated kiss. Lucy’s lips were met with his face roughly smashed into hers as she heard a random man yell out beside them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I was too nervous about the last chapter and no Nalu interaction. So here you are! Again, I have a few chapters already written out and will try to post once a week! Depending on how this all goes.

“YO ICE PRINCESS!” Natsu yelled, jumping on his friend’s back without any warning. 

The collision ended up being rougher than he anticipated, but the bastard earned it after ditching him for some chick. Gray running off to get away from the crowd was one thing, but, ditching Natsu and leaving him alone with a group of girls AND an empty beer bottle? Now that deserved some sort of punishment, right? He hooked his arm around his friend’s neck and punched his right shoulder. Natsu grinned as he prepared for a return attack.

“WHAT THE FUCK MAN!?” Gray yelled, shoving Natsu off him and giving him a strong scowl.

“What??? Did I interrupt something?” Natsu taunted, only imagining how furious his friend must be.

Natsu then turned his gaze over to the girl he had been ditched for. He couldn’t make out much since her blonde hair was covering her face and she seemed to be cupping her mouth with her hands. 

Maybe he did overdo it?

Gray turned towards the blonde and asked if she was all right. With a small nod of her head she moved her hands away from her mouth. Tapping her lips a few times she checked her fingertips for blood. “I’m so sorry!” Gray pleaded. “Does it hurt? Are you bleeding?” Gray was holding onto her shoulders while bending over so that they were at the same eye level. 

“No. I’m fine.” The girl sighed. Smiling up at Gray she moved away from his grip and turned to eye Natsu.

‘Shit.’

Just from a single glance Natsu could already tell why Gray had abandoned him for this chick. She was hot. Like super-hot! Long blonde hair, big brown eyes, and thick curves. A girl this attractive could have any man crawling at her feet. 

Natsu quickly inhaled as the woman's voice brought his gaze from her chest back to her face. “So,” she spoke, “could this be one of the ‘idiot’ friends you mentioned?” Giving Natsu a not-so-warm smile, the blonde then adjusted her dress.

“Idiot?” Natsu huffed. Looking around as if asking if the comment was meant for him.

“Yes, idiot! What’s your deal Flame Brain?” Gray hissed. Brows furrowed and teeth clenched he pointed back to the girl. “I know you have rocks in your head, but anyone could tell I was a bit busy.”

Natsu took a step back from his pissed off friend. “Hey, ain’t my fault you never came back with our drinks. You left without a word and the girls were getting annoyed.” Natsu shrugged.

“Let them get annoyed!” Gray spat back. “They only wanted the free drinks anyways!”

Natsu shrugged in agreement. It was true. The girls probably already found some other suckers to mooch off of by now. Whether or not Gray ran into this girl, Natsu figured his friend wasn’t going to come back anyways. Still, a heads up would have been appreciated!

Pushing past Gray, Natsu sighed and walked up to the blonde. She had her arms crossed over her chest and her eyebrow arched as she watched him approach.

…

Lucy’s bottom lip was still throbbing as she observed Gray bicker with this friend of his. Catching bits of their argument, she wasn’t surprised to hear that Gray’s original mission was to buy drinks for another group of girls before encountering Lucy. He was a good-looking man and Lucy knew there were plenty of other ladies more than willing to give him some action.

Shaking her head, she then turned her attention over to his friend. He was maybe a hair shorter and a bit more muscular than Gray. His black T-shirt and jeans complimented his sun-kissed skin, though, his hair was a bit odd. Pink? Salmon? Whatever it was, he definitely pulled it off. She watched as this man now sauntered over to her. Still a bit annoyed, she stayed silent and allowed him to speak first.

“I-” Awkwardly pulling at his neck, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Sorry, about that.” He muttered, his voice deep and husky. “I didn’t really think that through…” Trailing off, the man's eyes flickered from hers to the floor.

Lucy couldn’t help but giggle at the very evident thought. “It’s fine.” She smiled, uncrossing her arms and pushing her hair behind her ears. Then she decided to tease the man a bit.

“Though, I must say. You don’t look like the type to have such abandonment issues.” Flashing him a smirk, she waited for his reply. 

He coughed out a few fake laughs before responding. “Listen here. The only abandonment going on was my hand missing a cold one.” Hunching over her, he tilted his head towards Gray. She could feel his body heat radiating off him. “I couldn’t give two shits about that Ice Princess back there.” A toothy grin stretched across his tan face and Lucy couldn't help but mimic the smile. 

She felt so small as his broad shoulders hovered over her. Wanting to gain control over the conversation again she lifted up her chin and pestered further. “Ahhh. So, my mouth had to pay the price for that?” 

The pink haired man only playfully glared back. The contagious grin grew wider and his dark eyes seemed to light up. He was definitely enjoying this game. “What’s your name?” He asked. His focus locked on hers, causing Lucy to exhale an unknowingly caught breath.

Before she could respond Gray stepped in. “Her name’s Lucy.” Grabbing his friend’s shoulder he stood between the two of them. “And…As I said before. We were kind of busy.”

Lucy felt the blood rush to her cheeks as she remembered exactly what she and Gray were ‘busy’ doing. She quickly cupped her face and looked up at Gray then back to his friend. The two were now glaring at each other. Besides being told they were friends, that's all Lucy knew about them. Suddenly feeling like a problem, Lucy decided that this was her cue and waved both of her hands to gain their attention. “I’m actually pretty thirsty…Now that I think about it.” She uttered. 

Natsu broke his scowl first, followed by Gray who turned to face Lucy and asked if she wanted another drink from the bar. 

“No.” She declared. “Just some water would be nice.” Before she could attempt to say anything else, Gray’s friend spoke up. 

“We have a bunch of water back at our booth.” He said. Stepping closer to her, their eyes locked once again. “Why don’t you join us?” 

Lucy didn’t respond right away, lost in the seriousness of this strange man's gaze. A small flutter dancing in her chest before she broke their stare. Lucy quickly looked back at Gray who didn’t seem to hate the idea.

“Yeah, I’m pretty thirsty too.” Gray sighed. “Why don’t we stop by? It’s already paid for anyway.”

Not really wanting to pass up free water, Lucy figured she might as well tag along. She took a mental note to not stay long, knowing her friends were probably wondering where she was by now. Plus, she figured it would make for an easier goodbye than this current situation.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ!
> 
> Hi everyone! As promised, here is this weeks update. I'm really happy everyone seems to be enjoying the story so far! I'm new to posting on A03 and Fanfiction.net, so please bare with me while I try to understand the layouts and reviews/comments. LOL.
> 
> I also want to note that Loke and Lucy's interaction in this chapter is 100% the dialogue used in the anime when they first meet at fairy tail haha. Thought it would be fun.
> 
> I'm not sure which social media account you all are coming from, but I'll try to post on each to advise chapter updates! :)

CHAPTER 3

The club filled with voices and laughter as the music lowered to a steady beat. The stage began to prepare for the next DJ and bodies rushed to the bar to refill their drinks. While others began to save their spots on the dance floor.

Natsu led the way through the mass of people with Gray and Lucy following behind. He wasn’t entirely sure why he suggested for Lucy to join them, but he figured one extra person wouldn’t hurt. She seemed interesting. Plus, anyone who could handle Gray’s dumb face crashing into theirs deserved a point in his book.

Once the three of them made it to the booth it didn’t take long for Lucy to grab his friends’ attention. “Looks like you found more than just Gray.” Cana whistled. Sending Natsu a mischievous smirk, she eyed the blonde up and down and took another swig of her drink. 

“Hey guys, this is Lucy.” Gray casually remarked. 

Natsu watched as Gray grabbed a couple waters from the ice bin on the table and handed one to Lucy. She had one hand grasping the strap of her purse while the other held the cold drink. Gray continued with the introductions. “Lucy this is Cana, Loke...” He then turned his focus onto Natsu. “And the idiot you met before, is Natsu.” He sighed.

Lucy introduced herself to Loke and Cana before looking over at Natsu. Wanting to begin to make up for his previous greeting, Natsu held his hand up to wave. He gave the blonde the biggest and brightest smile he could possibly do. He felt his stomach do a weird dance when she responded with a small giggle and waved back. Though, the perky feeling quickly turned to discontent once Loke hung an arm around her shoulder.

“Nice to meet you Lucy!” Loke pressed into her, causing Lucy to steady herself against his weight. “If those two losers ain’t doing it for you, why don’t you join me tonight? Just the two of us.” Loke continued as Lucy kept a very stiff unpleasant stance. “You’re just so stunningly gorgeous I won’t be able to keep my eyes off you.” He purred.

Natsu felt his eyebrow twitch and his jaw tighten. Confused by the sudden irritation he felt, he convinced himself it was due to being called a loser by the idiot flirt. Along with the fact that Lucy had barely said a word to him and he was already all over her like some lion.

A low growl began to form in Natsu’s throat. He was about ready to fight his friend until he saw Lucy lift Loke’s arm up and off of her. Taking a couple steps back she distanced herself from the ginger. “Do the girls you hit on really fall for that?” She sneered. Allowing a few chuckles to escape, she loosened her bottle cap and took a sip of water.

Gray decided to answer for him. “No. They don’t.” He rolled his eyes. Giving Loke a few rough pushes, the flirt scurried back to his seat in the booth. 

Grabbing everyone's attention, Cana then let out a loud belly laugh. “Don’t worry hun. Loke here is all bark and no bite.” Cana’s grin grew, causing Natsu's stomach to turn. He knew the lush was about to make things much worse. Natsu tried to interject, but was stopped before being able to speak.

“– I’m sure it’s your chest causing these boys to go crazy. What’s your secret to such a big rack sweetheart?” Cana teased, placing her chin in her palm and shooting Lucy a wink. 

Lucy's shocked face turned bright red. Wrapping her arms around her body she quickly covered her breasts and looked over at Natsu, as if asking if that was a real question.

“Ease off you drunks!” Gray spat, once again stepping in. “Can’t you all be fucking normal for once!?” Yanking the brunette’s bottle out of her hand, he gained her full attention in the absence of the alcohol. 

“Hey give that back asshole!” She yelled, her body wobbling as she stood up and reached for her drink.

Natsu’s surprisingly tense shoulders then relaxed when he heard Lucy giggle. He felt bad for her having to deal with all his crazy friends at once. Though it seemed she could handle herself, she was starting to look uncomfortable. Wanting to ease her troubles, Natsu moved to stand beside her. She pulled her gaze from Cana’s and Gray’s bickering and looked up at Natsu. 

“Sorry.” Natsu nudged her shoulder with his. “They’re good people...They just don’t think before they speak.” He admitted. Looking down at her from the side of his eye he saw her face soften. 

“Seems to be a common thing with you guys.” She playfully nudged her shoulder back. 

Natsu felt a bit of heat rise to his cheeks as he was reminded of his actions. “Hey, I apologized!” He defended.

Lucy turned towards him. “This may be true but the damage isn't undone. My mouth is still in a lot of pain!” She argued, pointing to her lips. 

Natsu looked down at her swollen lip and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. A confident smile still spread across her small face. His stare then moved from her lips back up to her eyes. Her deep brown eyes catching his dark onyx ones. They held each other’s gaze as he took in her soft features. He didn't know what, but something about her intrigued him.

Clearing his throat, Natsu’s eyes narrowed and a sly grin stretched from ear to ear. “Ooh. So you’re saying I need to apologize to your lips too?” He teased. Inching closer he studied her reaction. Hesitating on whether or not to continue the flirtatious bickering. He didn’t want to overstep, but as her eyes flickered with curiosity, he gained his confidence back. Lowering his voice he continued. 

“Now how, do you supposed, would I go about doing that?”

He watched as Lucy’s pale face quickly turned beet red. She bit her lip as she sunk further into herself. He could see she was holding back a smile, but she kept her eyes locked on his. For this moment, Natsu could honestly say he forgot that his friends were just feet away. Hell, he forgot he was even at a club. All he could see was this woman, but the moment ended abruptly when a strong grip clutched his shoulder. A tug from the grip tore his eyes from Lucy’s. Not at all surprised, Natsu was now face to face with Gray. 

“Oi...” Gray grunted.

He could see the annoyance starting to form within his friend as he continued to stare. “Hey…” Natsu muttered. Scratching the back of his head he took a step away from Lucy. Only now realizing just how close the two of them were. 

Gray didn’t say anything as he released Natsu's shoulder and turned his focus onto the blonde. Natsu listened to Gray apologize to Lucy about his friends and asked if she wanted to go someplace else.

“No! I– well…” Lucy stuttered as she tried to recompose herself. A small smile snuck up on Natsu when he realized she was just as surprised by the interruption as he was. Finally able to finish her sentence Lucy let Gray know she was fine. Turning from Gray, she briefly looked at Natsu then back behind her to the dance floor. 

“Did you want to claim a spot?” Gray asked.

Lucy shook her head. Now pulling her phone out of her purse she quickly checked it. “No. I was thinking about heading back to my friends before the next set.” Taking a step back she pointed over her shoulder with her thumb. “It would be difficult once everything starts back up.” A shy chuckle escaping from her lips she continued to back away from their booth.

“Did you want help looking?” Gray asked.

“No!” She quickly stated. “The club isn’t too big. I’m sure I’ll find them soon.” Smiling, her gaze flickered over at Natsu then back at Gray. “Thank you for the water and thank you for... the company...” She trailed off. 

Beginning to distance herself to leave, Natsu unconsciously moved closer. He heard Gray sigh next to him. Hanging his head, Natsu could sense the defeat from his friend as he simply held his hand up to say goodbye. Lucy smiled in response before taking another glance at Natsu. His stomach once again acting up when their eyes met. Not knowing what to say Natsu waved and said it was nice to meet her. 

“It was fun.” He admitted grinning back at the blonde.

“It was.” Lucy giggled. 

Giving one last warm smile to the boys, she told them to have a great night and dipped into the mass of people on the dance floor. Natsu lost sight of her within seconds.

“Thanks for scaring her off, idiots...” Gray groaned. Punching Natsu in the shoulder he then plopped down in the booth next to his friends. Without a hint of sympathy both Cana and Loke rebutted saying it was more of a group effort, which only angered Gray more.

“Did you get her number?” Loke asked. Natsu, curious about the answer, finally looked away from where he had last seen Lucy.

“I would have if some pink haired dumbass hadn’t interrupted me.” Gray barked. Throwing his head back on to the top of the booth he closed his eyes. “Either way...She clearly wasn’t that interested.” Hinting at the fact she basically ran off. Gray waved his hand to end the conversation and neither friend bothered to continue. 

Natsu found himself feeling a bit disappointed with the answer, knowing he most likely won't see her again. Looking back to the dance floor he sighed. Scanning the crowd he unintentionally began searching for her gold locks.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Everyone! 
> 
> I hope you are all staying safe and healthy! Here's this weeks chapter. 
> 
> I want to say thank you for all the comments and reviews, they make me so happy to read. I really hope I don't disappoint! I didn't think many would view this fic, so it's a bit nerve-racking haha!

CHAPTER 4

Lucy’s heart was beating out of her chest. She could feel how hot and flush her face had become as she tried to frantically search for her friends. Nudging her way through the crowd of bodies, she thought back to what had just happened. Everything was fine and normal with Gray, the usual guy meets a girl at a club, and though Lucy wasn’t planning on leaving with him, she would have never guessed for it to end up the way it did. A flash of pink hair and a wide toothy grin flickered in her mind and she unconsciously brought her fingers up to her lips.

‘Sill hurts.’ 

This caused the heat in her cheeks to deepen as she stopped and looked back towards the booth. She knew leaving was for the better, but she couldn't help but feel that she was going to miss the strange group. They all seemed so lively and close, like a family. Something Lucy wasn’t very familiar with. 

Shaking the unpleasant feeling starting to form in her stomach, Lucy focused back on her search. Going to where she had last seen Erza she was happy to find that her two friends hadn't wandered far.

“Erza! Levy!” She yelled out. Waving her hand high, hoping that either of them would see. Lucy was happy the music was still at a low steady beat, quieter than what it would have been if the DJ had already started.

“Lucy!” They called back. Motioning for the blonde to hurry up and join them. Lucy shoved her way through the rest of the crowd. Reaching out and grabbing onto Erza’s outstretched hand, she let her pull guide her to them.

“Where did you go!? I thought you were just getting a drink!” Her friend Levy yelled over the music. Lucy took note of her friend's flushed face and empty hands, figuring the small woman had already hit her ceiling on alcoholic beverages for the night.

“I know, I'm sorry.” Lucy apologized. “I got... sidetracked” Lucy began to summarize the weird events that took place and watched both their faces scrunch up and turn to confusion.

“Wait... so you got hit in the face... and their apology was a small bottle of water?” Levy grumbled. 

“No no! His friend tackled him and made us bunk heads.” Lucy sighed as she tried her best to defend the men. She wasn’t sure why she cared so much about how her friends perceived them, but she knew they meant no harm. They were just having fun, and Lucy couldn't deny she had a curiosity for the two which caused her to stay longer then she probably should have.

“I don’t know Lu…” Levy trailed off and looked up to Erza for help.

The scarlet was angrily biting down on the plastic straws from her drink. “I would have killed both of them. Right then and there.” She spat. “They sound like a couple of idiots.” 

Lucy wasn’t too surprised by her friend's responses. The two of them had always been pretty protective of her. Ever since high school had Levy been Lucy’s voice of reason, while Erza filled the role of the “Mom” friend. These two were her only friends and she loved them dearly. 

Smiling back at the two girls, Lucy shook her head and reassured them that, though strange, she still had fun. Ending the conversation Lucy asked for a sip of Erza’s drink and turned her gaze back towards the stage. The Last DJ was going to start any minute and Lucy just wanted to enjoy the rest of the night with her friends before going back to reality. She needed this. The escape.

As if on cue, Lucy took a deep breath in, briefly closing her eyes as the lights turned off and a loud bass rumbled through the club. Levy grabbed onto her arm and jumped with excitement, while Erza lifted her drink and screamed with other hollering heads. The bass continued to build and the last DJ of the night walked on stage. All three girls were smiling from ear to ear in response to the DJ’s opening statement.

“LET'S GO CRAZY!”

…

Sitting in the booth with his friends, Natsu sipped on what had to be his sixth beer. Gray was practically checked out for the night while he sat beside him on his phone, scrolling through texts. Cana had run back off to the bar and Loke was grabbing numbers from the few waitresses that gave him the time of day.

Tilting his head back for another sip, Natsu eyed the dance floor as lights turned off and the closing DJ stepped on stage. The musician yelled out to the crowd, hyping them up before starting his set with one of his more well known songs.

“Why aren't you out there dancing Salamander?”

A rough voice drew Natsu's gaze back across the table. His friend, who usually never comes to these outings, lounged in the booth snacking on some fries. “Don’t you love this type of crap?” He asked, shoving another fist full of food in his mouth.

“Shut it Gajeel.” Natsu snapped, setting his beer back down. 

Gajeel had taken off before Gray and Natsu left with the group of girls, saying the club was dumb and a waste of time. Natsu thought for sure he had left, but it seemed his friend decided to stay. 

“You don’t even enjoy this shit. Why’d you come back?” Reaching over, Natsu helped himself to his friend's snack. As expected, the club added some weird garlic and seasoning to the fries making Natsu disappointed in his bite. ‘Was it that hard to just season them with salt?’

“I wanted to see what all the hype was about.” Gajeel huffed. Pushing the bowl of fries to the middle of the table to share.

Natsu smirked. “A.K.A you didn’t want to be left out?”

“Fuck off.” Gajeel bit. “You aren’t the only one needing a break from work.” Glancing around the building, he continued. “...But I seriously don’t see the appeal in this shit hole.”

Without looking up from his phone, Gray decided to join in on their little conversation. “That’s because you’re not at one of your weird jazz bars singing out of tune.” He laughed.

Annoyed, Gajeel grabbed some fries and chucked them at Gray’s head. “You wouldn’t know talent if it hit you in the damn face!” 

Natu sighed and took another grab of the not-so-appetizing food. He wasn’t really sure why he hadn’t gone back into the pit once the last set started. Usually by now he would have a good buzz going and some chick to take home, but after that Lucy girl left he had become bored.

“Oi! Why are you sulking Flame Brain?” Gray asked, munching on the few treats that were thrown his way. “Are you already crashing?”

Natsu shook his head. “I wish I had a buzz to crash from,” He admitted, mad at himself for letting the night end in such a dull way. Why weren’t his beers hitting him? Was he really that exhausted from work? Maybe he should just leave. 

Natsu’s thoughts were then interrupted by a woman's voice. “Uh oh, did someone take a liking to Gray’s find?” She spoke as he looked up to see Cana was now back with a new bottle of liquor. Squeezing her way into the booth, she forced Natsu and Gray to move down.

“Why’d you order from the bar when we have table service you drunk?” Natsu growled, choosing to ignore her comment.

Cana shrugged. “Loke makes it so difficult to get the girls over here! It was taking too long.” She pouted before taking a swig of her drink.

“Hey it’s not my fault they can’t get past my charming good looks.” The flirt boasted from the otherside of the booth. Making everyone at the table roll their eyes.

“More like they don’t want to get near the predator that keeps hitting on them.” Gajeel sneered back.

The two began to fight and Natsu quickly lost interest. Still bothered by what Cana said, he slowly glanced at Gray besides him, only to find Gray already looking back. He knew his friend well enough to know he wasn’t happy.

With his lips pressed, Gray pointed his chin slightly up. Hinting at Natsu to speak up and say something, but Natsu refused to cave. When it came to girls he knew it could get messy between the two, and Natsu knew he was in the wrong in this situation. Though, his pride would never allow himself to admit that outloud.

“Geez…” Gray groaned, letting his head fall while Natsu continued his stubborn silence. “Did you really take a liking to her that much?” Tilting his head, he nudged Natsu with his crossed elbow. 

Natsu held his tongue, determining if this was a trap set up by his friend or not. Neither would ever let a girl come between them, but that isn’t to say they haven’t fought over the matter before. Concluding that his friend wasn’t that maniacal, he folded.

“You saw her dude!” Natsu beamed. Cupping his two hands in front of his chest, he grabbed at empty air. “She’s fucking hot!”

Gray laughed in response, a bit of blush forming in his cheeks that Natsu assumed was from pictureing the woman’s chest. “Yeah, okay so she was hot…” Gray cleared his throat, “But that’s nothing new!” 

“I know…” Natsu trailed off. He thought back to her smile, her smart remarks, her laugh. He could feel his cheeks begin to warm the more he replayed their interactions. He was so enchanted by her already. “I don’t know man...She was just fun to hang out with.” Natsu smiled.

Gray chuckled, the corners of his lips turning up before letting out a long breath. “Well don’t let me stop you.” he sighed, pausing for a moment to let the sentence sink in, “but keep in mind you were already ditched by her once.” Gray spoke as he pulled out a stack of smokes from his back pocket and looked back at the patio. “So don’t be surprised if she doesn’t want your dumb ass again.” 

Natsu watched as his friend lifted himself up and out of the booth. “I wasn’t asking for your damn permission.” Natsu defended, finishing off the last of his beer he glared up to his friend. “...And she ditched your pervy ass too!” 

Gray looked down at him and smiled, “Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night.” He replied. Clearing his throat, he motioned his head to the back door. “I’m going out to the patio for a smoke. See ya.” Then left.

Natsu had to admit he felt a bit more relieved knowing that Gray wasn’t as into her as he thought. He knew that didn’t mean he could get the girl, but now he could try relatively guilt free.

Moving the bottom of his empty beer in circles on the table, he stared over at the dance floor. It was dark, loud, and packed. Like finding a needle in a haystack. If Natsu could find her in this mess of people, he’d call it fate.

Glancing back to his friends he asked. “Who wants to dance?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!
> 
> Wanted to say sorry for this chapter being so late. I had forgotten about the Holiday weekend and I use my work computer to type and update. (I'm getting a laptop for Christmas so that wont be an issue anymore.)
> 
> I'm realizing that we are catching up to what I have already written out pretty quickly. So I'm going to try to post every other Thursday! (I live in California so that may be Friday for many of you.)
> 
> As usual thank you so much for all the reviews and comments for this fic. We are now at the point where I realized this was going to be more than a little one shot. So bare with the plot set up haha.
> 
> I'm going to write more notes at then end of the chapter if you feel like reading haha!

CHAPTER 5

2:00 a.m. had come too quickly for Lucy. With the club now closed, the three girls stood outside of the building waiting for an Uber. The sidewalks were flooded with the club’s revelling crowd while others huddled up on their phones.

This had to be the worst part of the night for Lucy. Tired, in very little clothing, and not wanting to head back home. She stared wistfully at the long line of cars coming to pick up the night goers. Though, standing outside cold and exhausted, Lucy would take this atmosphere of shared fleeting bliss over her being stuck at home alone. 

“It says he’s right down the street.” Erza called out. Flashing her phone screen to the girls to show their drivers location. She began walking further down the sidewalk with Lucy and Levy following behind.

“Did you have fun Lu?” Levy asked beside her. She was walking barefoot and holding onto her white heels, making Lucy feel a bit larger.

“Mhm!” Lucy hummed, smiling back at her small friend. “As usual I’m just not ready to head back.” Looking down at her feet as she walked, Lucy slowed her pace and tried to match their strides.

“I know Lu…But we will be back here partying it up again before you know it!” Levy assured her.

She knew Levy was just trying to comfort her, but Lucy couldn’t help but feel worse. Her friends had so much more independence than she did. Being able to go out when they wanted, with who they wanted, wherever they wanted to go. It was something Lucy dreamt of. This once or twice a month outing that may come quickly for her friends, felt like ages apart for Lucy.

By the time Lucy and Levy caught up to Erza she had already found their ride home. Lucy watched as Erza spoke to the driver. Opening the front passenger seat, she turned back and yelled at the girls to hurry.

“We’re coming, we're coming!” Levy hollered back. “Some of us got smaller legs than you!” Laughing, Levy picked up her speed.

Lucy looked back at the club where the rest of the crowd sat and mingled with their groups. A familiar sense of stress and anguish began to creep into her mind as the thought of home grew closer. She could feel her heart begin to speed up, the pounding muscle ringing in her ears. She wasn’t ready.

‘A few more minutes...that’s all I need...’ Lucy thought, not realizing she had stopped walking. 

Erza then called from the car. “Lucy what are you doing? It’s time to leave!” 

Holding her breath, Lucy met Erza’s gaze as the same sentence ran through her mind. ‘Just a little longer…’

She glanced down at her phone and checked the time. It had been about a half an hour since the club closed and shooed them out. She wasn’t in a rush to get home, and there were still plenty of people standing around chatting with each other. 

“I-I’m...” Lucy bit her bottom lip and twirled her phone in her hands. A familiar idea forming in her mind. “I think I’m going to stay…” She began to speak, trying her best to sound as convincing as possible. “I want to hang back for a couple more minutes.” 

Still fidgeting with her phone in her hands, her eyes flicked around, as if avoiding eye contact would quell her friend’s inevitable anger. 

A heavy silence fell over the three and Lucy could feel Erza’s stare burning into her skin. The heaviness causing her to continue her rambling. “I-I know you don’t like when I do this, but I- I Just anothe–”

“Absolutely not.” Erza’s stern response immediately cut her off. Crossing her arms, the scarlet’s eyes sharpened. “Lucy you know how much I dislike this. We are not leaving you here, alone. It-It’s two in the morning for fuck sake!” She yelled. “I understand your father ca-”

The confrontation already had Lucy feeling disheartened as she allowed Erza’s voice to fade off into the background. 

‘No.’ Such a small word had so much power over her. She heard it often, and she hated it deeply. Not in a stubborn sense, but in a way that a simple two lettered word, could take away so much of her own liberty.

Lucy's focus then turned to her breathing. Noticing the shortness of breath and racing heart. Her chest squeezed as she tried to concentrate on anything else, but the thought of her home would not diminish…That place...she felt trapped, claustrophobic, the walls slowly closing in on her in every waking moment. Unable to have a say, unable to leave, unable to be herself. It was suffocating. 

Lucy took a couple of deep breaths and tried to recompose her mind, but the drowning feeling would not dissipate and Erza’s stern words rang louder in her thoughts. She knew it was a stupid idea, that this would be her response...but she couldn’t go home. Not yet. She wasn’t ready to surrender this impunity. 

“N-NO!” Lucy yelled, hitting her limit. “I-I can’t go back! N-Not yet...” The tone not only shocked her friends, but herself as well. She wasn’t even aware if she had interrupted Erza in the middle of her argument or not. 

The poor driver, who was probably just as stunned by Lucy’s outburst, cleared his throat. Gaining the three girl’s attention. “Hey I don't have all night…If you’re girls aren't leaving-” 

“No! We are leaving!” Levy interjected. “Sorry sir, please give us one more minute.” She reassured the man that he would be tipped well and then mumbled Erza’s name, her voice hinting to hurry things along. 

Erza stood with her foot in the car door, her gaze remaining fixed on Lucy’s, but Lucy did not budge under the intimidating stare. Watching as her friend seemed to contemplate her cries. 

“I’m sorry” Lucy pleaded, “But please understand…” The unfinished explanation was unnecessary. Her friends knew her situation, and this wasn't the first time Lucy made the strange request. It wasn’t a very common occurrence, but there were some nights she had to be alone to collect her thoughts.

“There are still people out waiting.” Lucy pointed to the crowd behind them. “I’ll stay with them the entire time and keep my phone on me. Texting you, like I always do.” Lucy smiled, the only convincing action she could give her friend at the moment. “I just need some time to myself before I have to go back.”

Erza dropped her head, looking down at Levy through the car window, then back to the driver. With her lips pressed in a fine line, she sighed heavily. “It will just be the two of us.” She told the driver. 

Lucy felt instant relief as air returned to her chest and her jaw relaxed into a smile.“Thank you! I promi–”

“Fifteen minutes!” Erza cut her celebration off. “You have to keep us updated the whole time, and if you decide to stay longer, you call me.” She ordered.

Lucy nodded her head, quickly agreeing with her demands. “I’ll stay by the entrance of the club the whole time.” She promised. Running up to hug Erza tightly, she thanked her friends multiple times. “Thank you thank you thank you.” She beamed, leaning into the window and hugging Levy. “Both of you are the best.”

“We know.” Levy smiled. “Now get in already, Mom.” She teased Erza before settling back into her seat.

After a few more reminders from Erza, and Levy arguing that Lucy can handle herself, the relieved driver finally pulled away from the club. Lucy waved goodbye as she watched the car speed away. 

Taking a deep breath in, she then strutted back to the entrance.

…

The crisp air brought a clear sense of mind to Lucy. Inhaling deeply she let herself relax against the wall of the club and stared at the stars. When she was arguing with Erza she could feel the panic begin to bubble in her stomach. She hated how much control the uneasy feeling took over her, causing her heart to race and her chest to tighten as the world around her became muddy. It was not pleasant.

Just after a few minutes she could already feel her body calming down. She felt bad for making her friends feel so uncomfortable, but they had an understanding of Lucy’s situation.

Lucy was the heir of the very successful business, Heartfilia Konzern. Her father, Jude Heartfilia, started off as a merchant with her mother, Layla. Quickly, their business grew into what it is today. Owning many of the properties and smaller businesses in the area, the Heartfilia name was known by most. 

Though this played a role in Lucy’s strict upbringing, it wasn't until after her mother's passing that her father truly restricted her life. In fear of losing Lucy as well, he had her life completely planned out and totally sheltered. Limiting her outings to only school and anything regarding the Heartfilia business. Barely allowing Lucy to leave their estate. 

With the loss of her mother, her father couldn't bear to look Lucy in the eyes, the resemblance was far too painful for him. So, he put all his time and energy into his work. His office became his home and Lucy was left to be cared for by the estate's staff.

Lucy had become numb to the solitude. Her mother died when she was young, if she hadn’t carried so many of her mother’s features, she would have forgotten what she looked like. And though she had the staff to rely on, it didn’t change the neglect she had felt. 

If it wasn’t for Erza and Levy, she doesn’t know where she would be right now. It was their idea to start sneaking out of her home. They learned her schedule and would text and plan their outings. First starting off as a couple hours at the local mall, then to house parties, and now in their older age, clubbing and bar hopping. Lucy smiled to herself as she enjoyed the exciting memories. They truly helped ease the loneliness.

Now composed, Lucy decided it was time to leave and checked her phone, a text from Erza was already waiting for her. 

Erza: It’s been almost 15mins.

Lucy chuckled at the bluntness and replied, letting her know she was just about to schedule an Uber.

Erza: Good 

Lucy responded with a heart emoji to her stern friend and began walking to the edge of the sidewalk. When Lucy opened up the rideshare app, she was stopped by a man’s voice.

“Excuse me, miss?”

Lucy turned to face the stranger. He was wearing dark clothing and a baseball cap that helped cover his face. Through his long dirty blonde hair, a hazel eye peered down at her. 

She immediately felt uneasy, clenching her phone to her chest, she hesitantly responded. “Yes?”

The man's lips curved into a smirk, deepening Lucy’s discomfort. “Are you waiting out here alone?” He pried.

Lucy's gaze flickered to the many people standing around them, taking note of the ones in arms reach and the red flags this man was giving off. She cleared her throat. “No. My friend stepped away for a moment. They will be back any minute.” She lied, trying her best to seem as unfriendly as possible.

But the man only stepped closer. “Who would leave someone such as yourself alone?”

Confused by the statement, Lucy didn’t have time to react before he quickly snatched her free hand and pulled it up to his lips, placing an unwanted kiss on top of her fist. 

Disgust instantly took root as a sensation of a thousand insects skittered over her skin. She immediately tried to pull her hand free but the man's grip tightened. “M-My friends are wai–”

“It’s not nice to lie, you know.” His smirk growing into a toothy grimace. “Your friends left you.” He yanked on Lucy’s wrist pulling her closer. “I watched them leave while you stayed behind.” He whispered.

Lucy’s unease and disgust quickly turned to fear. She felt sick to her stomach, a pit forming as she tried to look around for help. Suddenly the many people that were only an arms length away, now felt very distant.

Her throat became dry and her words caught as the man began to drag her through the crowd. She was not supposed to be out. If she caused a scene, what would happen? Would people find out who she was? Would her father find out? If she were to call someone...Would they be able to help in time?

“Since your friends are in fact not coming back. Why don’t I help you find a ride?” He turned back towards her. The cold smirk growing wider across his hidden face.

Lucy began to panic, his grip was strong and painful. She searched the thinning crowd, looking for her friends she knew were not there. She needed to get out of his hold, no matter what. 

Grabbing onto her phone tighter, she focused on the back of the man's head. She knew she couldn't take him on in strength, but with surprise on her side, maybe that would be enough to escape his grip. What would happen after that though? Would she be able to outrun him? Find someone to help? It didn’t matter, right now her main focus was getting out of his grasp. 

Preparing to twist her wrist free, a glimpse of a familiar salmon pink color caught her eye in the front of the club. With hope thumping through her chest, she set her sights on her goal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Again!  
> How'd you like the chapter? I know it's a bit messy, but I'm hoping I get better the more I write LOL.
> 
> As some of you may know, I usually color manga panels. That does take up a lot of my time, since doing art is what I enjoy the most. So please keep that in mind if I become behind in updating.
> 
> I saw some people say they were sad Gray gave up so quickly on Lucy, and though I love y'all wanting some Graylu, I didn't want this to be a love triangle thing. (Plus they just met and I don't think a man would care that much lol.)
> 
> Do you guys have any idea where this is going? I'm going to try and keep it lowkey, but I did tag it and maybe you got some hints off of @Zippi44's art. Haha
> 
> Thank you again! You all are lovely! Feel free to message me on Instagram, Twitter, or Tumblr!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> Hope you all are staying positive and healthy!  
> I keep getting asked when I'll be posting the next chapter. So again, I will post every other Thursday, twice a month. Please understand I can only write so fast haha.  
> This chapter has some cringe parts, but please bare with it since I wanted some fun awkwardness.  
> Hope you enjoy the chapter! I'll say more at the end.

CHAPTER 6

Natsu walked away from the club tasked with the job of finding a ride home. He wasn't complaining though, an easier one of the three choices in his opinion, considering the other two options were dealing with Loke and Cana.

As he pulled out his phone and walked towards the street. Natsu tried to ignore the disappointing feeling lingering in the back of his mind. He had hoped he would run into Lucy again, thinking the search would be easy once he was in the crowd. To his surprise there were a great amount of blondes at the club that night.

Shaking his head, Natsu was quickly dragged out of his thoughts when he heard his name being called out. Before he could find the owner of the voice, his arm was then snatched and pulled the opposite direction. 

Confused and angry by the sudden action he went to yell at the anonymous attacker. “What the fu-”   
But, Natsu immediately caught his breath as a familiar set of deep brown eyes locked with his. 

“Lucy…” He unknowingly mumbled her name aloud. A buzz of emotions beginning to form in his chest.

“What took you so long?” She exhaled, “I’ve been waiting for you.” 

Natsu was now back to being confused. Looking more closely at her, he noticed she was out of breath, like she had just ran. Her expression was scrunched up and a forced smile was clearly plastered on her face. Was she upset? No...That wasn’t it. His gaze then followed the trail from where she had come from. That's when he realized Lucy was not alone. 

A light haired man Natsu did not recognize followed one step behind Lucy. Walking up to her, he paid no mind to Natsu. 

“Good girls don’t run off like that.” He stated, aggressively grabbing hold of her wrist.

Lucy's grip on Natsu’s forearm tightened. Her eyes widened as her fake smile turned into a pleading cry for help. Instantly he understood what was happening. A muscle in his jaw clenched as he shot his gaze to the man's hold on Lucy. 

Natsu violently grabbed onto the man’s wrist, earning a wince from the stranger.

“Thank you for keeping her company.” Natsu bit in a deathly calm voice. “You can leave now.” He did not know who this man was, or what his intentions were, but it was clear Lucy did not want either of them.

The man scoffed and stared at Natsu, neither attempting to leave nor furthering his advances. 

Angered that he was still holding onto Lucy’s wrist, Natsu stepped closer. Closing the distance between them and squeezing his grip tighter. The veins in his arm flexed and he allowed a low growl to escape from the back of his throat as one last warning. 

“Leave. Now.” Natsu snarled.

The stranger swallowed, eyes widening and a bead of sweat forming at his temples. He slowly released his hold on Lucy, taking caution to Natsu's warning. 

Once free, Lucy moved behind Natsu. He could feel her hands cling to the back of his shirt as he roughly threw the man’s hand out of his own grasp. Natsu was unable to catch whatever words the man muttered under his breath. Figuring it was directed at Natsu and his interference, he played it off as if he heard the insult and smirked. 

The stranger glanced at Lucy again, but Natsu stepped into his line of sight in front of her. Causing the bastard to spit out a curse as he slowly backed away. Giving Natsu one last scowl before turning around and finally leaving. Disappearing as quickly as he appeared. 

Natsu held his burning glare. Making sure the creep had in fact left, but Lucy's voice drew his attention away. “Th-Thank you…” She stuttered. One hand was still holding his shirt while the other held her phone over her heart. She seemed shaken, no doubt.

“Are you okay? Did he do anything to you?” Natsu worriedly asked. His hands hovered over her shoulders, not entirely sure if touching her would be okay.

“I’m fine. He just…” She trailed off and Natsu waited patiently for her to resume. “He just came out of nowhere and started dragging me away.” Tears started to collect in the corner of her eyes, but they never fell. 

Natsu did his best to comfort her, giving her the time and space to recollect herself before she seemingly relaxed and released her grip on his shirt.

“Sorry…” She mumbled.

“Don’t worry about it.” Natsu responded. Wondering why she was even apologizing. 

Wanting to focus her mind on something else, he decided to spark a new topic. “Where are your friends at? Are they still in the building?” He asked.

“No…” She sniffled. “They're probably home by now. I told them to go ahead without me.” Still standing close to Natsu she looked up at him, a half smile appearing. “I wanted to hang back a little longer.”

Natsu smiled, “Ahhh...Not quite ready to face the reality of everyday life?” He joked, figuring that’s how most of the people around here felt.

Lucy let her head fall as she nodded in agreement. Her small smile fading and the brown in her eyes deepened. It seemed that Natsu had hit the mark, but something about her response had him concerned.

“Yeah…” Natsu pulled at his neck, awkwardly trying his best to keep the mood up. “I just got off a long job with my previous client. She basically drained the life out of me.” He groaned. “Going back to work sounds like a death sentence at this point.”

Lucy giggled and Natsu immersed in the warm feeling the sound brought to him. “Client?” She questioned, “Who’s this Client of yours that almost sent you to your death bed?” 

Tilting his head up and to the side, Natsu hummed. “Hmm, I’m afraid that’s classified information.” He grinned.

He watched as her brows furrowed, clearly displeased at his obscure response. “Well that doesn’t sound shady at all.” She huffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

Natsu smirked. “Nothing shady about a man and his secrets.” He stated, continuing the confusion with his cryptic responses.

“There are so many things wrong with that sentence.” Lucy groaned. “Now I’m really curious about your job,” Chuckling, she arched her brow before continuing, “But if you're not going to tell me. Then I guess I’ll just have to make assumptions.”

“Oh?” Nastu provoked, leaning further into the conversation, ”And what might those assumptions be?” 

Her eyes narrowed, a sly grin growing on her slim face as she crossed her arms. “I guess a man of the night. A boo-ty-call.” She teased, her nose wrinkling with the taunt.

Natsu couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “Wow your mind really jumps to the extreme! Doesn’t it!?”

Lucy blushed, “Hey! With how weird you’re being, a girl can only wonder.” She defended while Natsu tried to catch his breath beside her.

“Nope, you’re definitely the weird one.” Natsu grinned. “I’m happy to hear how curious you are about me. And as good as I may be IF that were my job, it is not.” He winked.

“Oh really?” She replied. Rolling her eyes at the cocky statement.

“Yes weirdo.” Natsu chuckled, his smile growing wider the more they spoke. “As much as I would loooove to prove you wrong. I can’t say much about it since there are a lot of legal documents involved with my work. Especially with this last client.” Natsu swears he could feel a headache beginning to form just from mentioning the dreadful woman. Focusing back on their conversation, Natsu watched as Lucy debated if that was an acceptable response. 

“Hm, I suppose that will do.” She giggled. “But if you were trying to make yourself seem less shady, you did a poor job at it.”

Natsu smiled and shrugged. “Eh, agree to disagree.” 

Once again Natsu found himself comforted by the pleasant buzz in his chest. He was happy she seemed to have relaxed, hoping she was able to put what had happened in the back of her mind for now. If Natsu ever saw that creep again, he wouldn’t know if he'd be able to stop himself from beating the living shit out of him.

Lucy's phone then dinged and she frantically fumbled with it in her hands. She was still standing close to Natsu, her arm brushing against his as she responded to the text. “Sorry, that was my friend.” She mumbled, “She was seeing if I’ve left yet.”

Natsu asked if she had a way home. Which, Lucy let him know she had just booked a ride. “I’ll wait with you. Until your driver comes?” He suggested. Happy when she didn’t refuse his offer as they began to walk further down the sidewalk. While walking, Natsu continued their small chit chat, asking if she enjoyed the rest of her night.

“Yes! It started off a bit dull, but I had a lot of fun in the end.” She smiled. “How about you?” 

Natsu saw a bit of blush rise as she continued to stare down at her feet. Pressing his lips into a fine line. He couldn’t lie and say he had enjoyed the rest of the night after she had left. Most of it was spent searching for her and his stupid friends giving him all kinds of shit for it. 

His face must have mimicked his displeased thoughts as he heard Lucy laugh besides him. 

“I’m sorry your night wasn't as fun.” She chuckled, nudging him with her elbow as they came to a stop on the sidewalk. “Did you end up missing me that much?” She teased.

Natsu had no reason to deny that he did. The rest of the night was basically a blur to him and the only focus was Lucy. 

Locking his gaze with hers, he casually responded. “Yes. Actually.”

The bluntness of his response had Lucy shocked, probably because she wasn't expecting her joke to be true. She pulled her eyes from his and cupped her rosy cheeks.

“It was pretty boring after you left.” Natsu continued. “I even tried looking for you later on.” The last sentence caused Lucy to meet with his locked gaze again. He knew he probably looked lame and desperate, but he didn’t care. It was all the truth and he figured she deserved to know. 

“You’d be surprised at how many blondes were at the club tonight.” Natsu chuckled as he looked down at Lucy’s flushed face. Her hands were still covering her cheeks as she stared back up at him with her doe-like eyes. Natsu had to fight back the urge to reach out and pull her hands away. Everything about her was so beautiful to him, the pink of her cheeks blending perfectly with her pale skin, the way her nose crinkled when she laughed, how her eyes sharpened with curiosity the more they spoke. Every little detail of her was perfect.

Lucy ended their silence. “Well, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t kind of sad to leave.” She mumbled quietly. Her eyes flickering from the sky, to the floor, and then back to her feet. Was she embarrassed to say it to his face? 

“Oh really?” Natsu nudged, unable to help himself from pestering.

“Yes, really!” Lucy mimicked. “You and your friends are very...interesting to be around.”

Natsu laughed at her choice of words. “Interesting is one way to put it.”

Lucy joined his chuckle. “Okay, you were all very fun. How’s that?” She asked.

Natsu tilted his head back and forth, accepting the compliment while Lucy continued. “But, I am sort of relieved you didn’t end up finding me...My friend might have killed you.”

Natsu pressed his lips together and huffed. “Ha! I’d like to see them try! I know how to fight and I can take on anyone.” He boasted as he flexed one of his arm muscles. He watched Lucy eye his bicep, her honey gaze trailing from his arm, to his chest, then back up to his face.

“I believe that.” She giggled. “But, she may put up more of a fight than you think. Her mother is the chief of police and she has been training for years.” Lowering her voice Lucy then whispered. “Her glare alone can send any men running.”

Natsu felt an immense shiver run down his spine as the thought of her friend became more clear. Swallowing thickly he assured himself he could still win. ‘Probably.’

Lucy looked down at her phone, stating that her driver should be here any second. The two searched for the red vehicle and found it only a couple cars back. Lucy began to walk and when Natsu realized that he was going to have to finally say goodbye, his stomach turned.

Not wanting to miss his chance again he called out to Lucy, gaining her attention she turned around. She was like a goddess, it was unearthly how the moon light bounced off her golden hair and pale face. She shined bright, like a star in the night.

“I-I was...Uh...” Natsu struggled with his words as he ran his hand through his hair. Trying to catch his breath, he inhaled deeply. “I would love to see you again.” He finally forced out. His heart was pounding, the muscle thumping loud in his chest. He swears Lucy could hear it as he watched her eyes widen.

“Do you think- I mean...Would it be alright, if I asked for your number?” He stumbled. 

Natsu could feel the tips of his ears heat up. Why was this so difficult for him? Was he embarrassed? About what? This was nothing new. Trying to ignore the thousands of thoughts running through his mind, he met Lucy’s gaze. She was blushing as she stared back at him. Her expression was soft, but her smile seemed sad. A familiar darkness glossing over her large brown eyes.

Natsu immediately took back his words. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable! I just thought we-”

“-You didn’t make me uncomfortable.” Lucy reassured, a half smile tugging at her lips. “Sorry...You’re a great guy...but...”

Natsu could already feel the pit in his stomach began to form. She was going to reject him, and she had no reason not to. Sure he had found something special in her, seeming as if all of this were fate, but to her, he was just some guy. Another guy of many to probably ask for her number.

“...As much as I would like to see you again. It wouldn’t work out.” She spoke.

Natsu’s brows furrowed as he studied the seriousness in her tone. He wanted to defend himself, to guarantee that he would do anything to make it work... But it was not his place, and so he remained quiet, the feeling of defeat engulfing him.

“I’m really sorry…” Lucy repeated. Her voice was soft and shaky as she bit down on her lip and her eyes began to water.

Panic ran through him as he saw the tears begin to form. “No it’s fine!” Natsu rushed to close the distance between the two of them. He could smell the strawberry shampoo in her hair and the vanilla perfume soaked in her skin. 

“You really are a weirdo.” He chuckled, lightly grabbing her chin, he brought her face to meet his. “Don’t apologize for something as silly as this.”

Lucy didn’t move from his grip as she wiped away the few tears that had escaped with her palms. “I- If it were any other circumstance…”

“It’s fine.” Natsu stopped her. It hurt him to see how upset she was. “You don’t have to explain if you don't want to. I may not understand why, but I do understand you must have your reasons.” His lips curled into a grin. “Nothing shady about a woman and her secrets.”

The comment earned a small giggle from Lucy. “Th-Thank you...” She sniffled as her eyes fluttered up to meet him. “I’m sorry...”

Moving his hand from her chin and bringing both to cup her face. Natsu squeezed her cheeks and gently shook her head. “And stop apologizing!” He declared. Flashing her his biggest smile, she laughed in response.

The two stood as they were, soaking in the comforting sensation. Natsu was still holding her cheeks, brushing his thumb over the soft skin as she held onto his wrists. His eyes flickered to the red car pulling up behind her. “I think your ride is here.” Natsu mumbled, telling himself the fact more than her.

The driver rolled down their window and asked for Lucy. Lucy responded saying she will be there in a moment and turned back to Natsu, placing her face back in between his hands. “Thank you again. For everything tonight.” She spoke.

“Thank you for making it fun.” Natsu responded, feeling her giggle into his palms.

Determined to make this departure anything but sad, Natsu took his chance and brought her face closer to his. Squeezing her cheeks he tilted her head down and placed his lips lightly on her forehead. Leaving a warm kiss. “I hope our paths cross again.” He whispered.

Pulling away, Lucy instantly blushed. Her face turning beat red as her grip on his wrists tightened. Before she could even mutter out another word. Natsu released his hold and pointed to the car waiting behind her. “Get home safe.” He smiled.

Understanding that this was goodbye, Lucy nodded and told Natsu to do the same. Sitting inside the car, Natsu watched as she adjusted the seat belt and placed her belongings on her lap. She said a few words to the driver and then turned to gaze back out the car window. Smiling, she held up her hand and waved to Natsu. Natsu waved back, smiling until the car was no longer in sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back!
> 
> How'd you like it? Hopefully it wasn't too bad, lol.   
> At this point it was starting to formulate the plot a bit more and needed to merge the two stories together. I think it came out okay? Right? Haha.  
> I got my first "bad" review the other day, it was really nothing, so I'll take that as my first negative comment haha.  
> Lately I've been feeling a bit down, but when I went through the comments for this fic that def lifted my spirts and gave me motivation. So as always, thank you for being so awesome and supportive!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year Everyone!
> 
> This chapter is a bit boring and short since it's a lot of plot set up. I'm trying my best to write Lucy's wealthy life style, but it's a bit of a struggle for poor old me lol. I'm just going off of stuff I've grabbed from the anime and random books/K-dramas.
> 
> Also, this was the last prewritten chapter I had that didn't need anymore editing, the next few I still need to go through before posting.
> 
> Anyways hope you enjoy the chapter! I'll write some more at the end.

CHAPTER 7

Woken by a knock at her door, Lucy's eyes fluttered open and adjusted to her bright room. “Lady Lucy will you be having breakfast this morning?” The voice behind the door asked.

Grumbling to herself she glanced at the time. She must have slept past her alarm considering her morning routine usually started at eight AM and it was now ten. “Yes. I’ll be down in a minute.” She hollered back. 

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Lucy could still feel the lingering taste of alcohol on her breath. She quickly chugged the glass of water that sat on her nightstand to ease the dryness in her throat. She had finally gotten into bed around four last night and had passed out as soon as her head hit the silk pillow. Sleeping like the dead.

Lucy instantly felt the lack of sleep as she got herself up and out of bed, her body screaming at her not to leave the warm sheets. Wincing at the ache in her feet she cursed to herself when she looked down at the blisters on her heels. ‘I knew I shouldn’t have worn those damn shoes.’ 

Not dwelling on her mistake for long, she took a deep breath and made her way to the bathroom. Glancing in the mirror she almost didn’t recognize herself. Her smooth hair was now matted and tangled on top of her head. The makeup from last night smeared across her face, a half-assed job of removing it on her part. Sighing to herself she grabbed her comb and prepared for the battle with her hair.

After cleaning herself up a bit, Lucy grabbed her robe and phone and made her way down to the dining area. The shuffle of her slippers echoed in the long empty hallway with every step, an eerie sound that Lucy had grown used to. Looking at her phone she saw that the girls had texted in their group chat.

Levy: How are you girls feeling?

Erza: Like death, but still made it to work.

Lucy chuckled to herself and responded.

Lucy: Could be better, but alive.

Erza: Lucky.

Levy: I told you to not buy that last drink Erza!

Erza: It was their new strawberry drink! One does not simply pass that up!

Lucy smiled to herself as she remembered the sugary drink she had shared with the scarlet. It was pretty good, a little too sweet for her liking, but perfect for Erza. 

The three friends continued their small conversation as Lucy arrived in the dining hall. Her coffee sat hot, ready, and alone at the sixteen person table. Placing herself in her usual spot at the end chair. The head maid, Spetto, walked over from where she stood by the wall and informed her what had been prepared for breakfast.

One by one as the maid announced each, a dish was brought from the kitchen and placed in front of Lucy. Lucy stared at the enormous amount of food, knowing she wouldn't be able to eat it all. She never knew why her father insisted on having them cook so much when it was just the two of them.

Glancing at the other end of the long table, Lucy noted the empty seat across from her. Placing her napkin on her lap, she looked up at Spetto as the last plate was set down. 

“Will my father be joining?” She asked.

Spetto smiled. “I’m afraid not Lady Lucy. He is held up in his study.”

Lucy nodded and sighed. It would have been more of a surprise if her father had made it to breakfast. The man spent more time in his office than he did in his own bed. Spetto spoke up again as Lucy began to grab some bread and jam for herself. 

“After your classes Mr. Heartfilia does wish to speak with you.” The maid stated.

“Do you know what about?” Lucy questioned as she shoved the food in her mouth.

Spetto shook her head. “Afraid not.”

Lucy once again signed as she wiped some jam off the corners of her mouth. “Alright, thank you…”

Spetto bowed and asked if Lucy needed anything else. 

“No, but please tell Aed thank you for the food.”

Lucy was now left alone to replay last night's events. She hadn't told either of the girls about what had happened after they had gone home; her mini panic attack, the strange man that grabbed her, or even running into Natsu again. She decided that keeping her mouth shut would be easier than dealing with the worry it would bring to tell them.

Natsu’s name danced in her head as she thought back to their departure. Heat rose to her cheeks when she remembered how she teared up in front of him, not once, but twice. Though the first time may have been justified, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed. He was so kind and understanding, when they talked it felt as if they'd known each other for a lifetime. It was comforting...He was comforting.

‘I hope our paths cross again.’

Lucy flinched at the memory of his words. The tenderness. The hope. She knew that there was no way they could see each other again, and if for some reason they do, a normal relationship was out of the question. It just wasn't that simple with the title she held. That is why she had to end it there, to prevent any further hope. 

Not quite accepting the reality of things, Lucy willed her mind to focus on her food instead. Shoving the savory cooking into her mouth, one bite after another, she let the memories slowly fade.

Once finished with her meal, Lucy got ready for the rest of the day and began her classes. Unfortunately for her, etiquette was first. With her overly stuffed stomach and her lack of sleep, it took all her energy to remain upright and conscious while she read, ‘Ladies’ Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness’. 

After etiquette was some business management and then her piano lessons. The day went by rather quickly for her, and she didn’t mind that. It kept her from wondering about Natsu or what her father wanted to speak about, but before she knew it, she was standing in front of the large wooden doors to his study.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy knocked on the door a few times and peeked her head into his office. There sat her father at the end of the room, head ducked into mounds of paperwork.

“Father, you wanted to speak with me?” Lucy asked before making her way in.

Without looking up from his work he responded. “Yes, please come in. This won't take long.”

Obeying, Lucy stepped towards his desk and patiently waited for him to finish signing the few documents. She knew better than to interrupt him. He was a busy man and he was aware of her presence. 

Not quite meeting her gaze, her father pulled his attention from his work to Lucy. “How were your classes today?” He inquired. Lucy told him that her classes went smoothly as usual and that all her teachers were very helpful.

“Good. Good.” He mumbled. She noticed his eyes drift to a particular folder on his desk before continuing their chat. “Did you sleep well last night?”

Lucy flinched at the question. “I had a bit of trouble getting to sleep, but other than that I slept fine.”

“What did you do last night?” He asked.

Lucy was starting to get worried by the sudden string of questions. Did he know? Had he figured out she’s been sneaking out? Had someone recognized her last night? No, that can't be. Barely anyone knows what she looks like and she didn’t see anything on social media.

“Nothing exciting. I just re-read a favorite book of mine.” She lied.

Wringing her hands behind her back, she looked down at her feet and held her breath, waiting for her father’s response. Checking up on her and asking how her night was, wasn’t uncommon for a father, but not her father. As long as she acted natural, she was safe. She hoped.

Her father sighed heavily and Lucy forced herself to lift her head. Grabbing some papers off his desk, he began to speak again. “Alright. I originally called you in here to discuss your suitor. I know we have talked about an arranged marriage in the past and you were not very...enthused about it, but I hope you understand when I say this is what's best for the company, what's best for us.” 

Lucy’s nervousness quickly turned to frustration as the unwanted topic was brought up. ‘Not enthused’ was an understatement. When they had first discussed this “arrangement” Lucy was thirteen and she threw a tantrum, basically destroying her entire room in the process. The second time was a little after she graduated high-school at eighteen. Just like now, she was called into her father's study to discuss the topic, but Lucy still held her ground. She refused to marry a man she did not know or love. 

Now, five years later at the age of twenty-three, her motivation to fight had died. The realization of how important this arrangement was, was too strong for Lucy to ignore. She was the heir to the Heartfilia Konzern; one of the wealthiest and most recognizable companies in the country. Without her, there would be nobody to inherit the business and produce an heir. If the company fails, so do the smaller businesses within it. The people who had worked hard and put their trust into the Heartfilia Konzern would be affected, along with their families. 

Magazines had written articles about who could be the potential suitor of the mysterious daughter of the Heartfilia family. Men had come to their door and asked for her hand in marriage, showering both her and her father in glorious gifts and business opportunities. The attention was suffocating to say the least, but she had been pampered and raised to deal with the pressure her title brought upon her, and with the pressure came defeat to her own ideals.

“I’m well aware.” Lucy bit.

Her father cleared his throat. “Yes. Well, we are at the point where you must meet suitors. Though, I will choose who you will marry in the end, who will be the most beneficial for us, I do wish for your input. I would like for you to get to know these men. I have chosen a handful of suitors who seem to be very promising business men.”

Lucy held back a laugh and stopped herself from storming out of his office. ‘Promising business men.’ Nothing about being a promising husband and lover.

“We will host events, parties so to speak, to help you meet everyone first.” He continued, “After a few gatherings, we will narrow it down to those best suited.” His eyes fell to the same folder as before, tapping on it with his fingers. He looked as if he was contemplating something. “I will be out of town for a little while, arranging and meeting with the potential suitors.” He sighed as he grabbed the mysterious folder and placed it in his desk drawer. “I’m planning on leaving in a couple of weeks, but first I must prepare a few things.” 

His eyes then darted to Lucy and she tensed. She wasn't sure how to react. She suppressed the urge to express her mixture of emotions; frustration, bitterness, confusion. “Would you like me to help ready anything?” Lucy unwillingly asked.

“No need.” Her father responded. “I will, however, need to speak with you again before I leave. I will need to gather some more information before we discuss. So until then, please enjoy yourself.”

Without another word, he nodded his head towards the door, ending their conversation and dismissing her. Lucy chose not to press any further, the little voice in the back of her mind telling her it's for the best. With a small curtsey she thanked her father and left the office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back loves!
> 
> I know not much happened and you had to wait awhile for the update, sorry about that.  
> Writing about her waking up from a night of clubbing was probably the easiest thing to write. I hate that morning after feeling from a late night of drinking LOL.  
> I've been struggling lately to write or do anything productive, been feeling a bit down and it's been hard to pick myself back up.  
> So this is just as a warning if I'm late on updating or seem a bit behind, it's probably because of that. I promise I won't randomly drop this, (Well at least not without warning) so please be patient with me if I don't update on time.
> 
> You all are great and amazing! Enjoy the end of this crappy year and please stay happy healthy and safe!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!  
> I'm sorry for being a day late on this update, work and life has been a bit crazy and I lost track of the days lol.  
> I wanted to give a heads up on the next chapter possibly being delayed. I'm starting to change some things around and it may take longer than I hope. So please keep that in mind!  
> Anyways I hope you enjoy the chapter!

CHAPTER 8

Natsu woke with a heavy weight sitting on his chest. Opening his eyes he was met with his small feline friend, Happy, staring back at him.

“Morning.” Natsu grumbled as he sat himself up. Wincing at the brightness in his room, a sharp pain shot through his temples. Cursing to himself for having one too many drinks last night.

It had been a little over a week since Natsu had met Lucy. He had gone back to the club with Gray and his cousin Lyon last night, hoping to run into the blonde again. Turning at every head with golden locks, his entire night was cursed with disappointment, and with each disappointment came another drink. He had a feeling he wasn't going to run into her again, but if that bastard Gray came back saying he saw her, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. 

Happy jumped to the ground as Natsu swung his feet off the bed. Grabbing some gray sweatpants that were laying on the floor, he pulled them over his hips and made his way to the kitchen. The feline meowed and purred as Natsu neared the pet’s food. Grabbing a bowl, he plopped the wet food in the dish and pushed it towards Happy on top of the counter. He watched as the cat ate the fishy meal with satisfaction. 

“I don’t know how the hell you eat that, little buddy. That shit stinks.” Natsu chuckled.

Happy responded with a flick of his tail as he continued to devour his food. Petting the cat, Natsu resumed his one sided conversation, telling Happy that he would be heading back to work soon. Which meant Wendy and her cat Carla would be watching over him until he returns. “Maybe we will deliver the news in person today.”

Natsu's attention was caught when the door to Gray’s room slowly opened. A blue haired woman peeked her head out and she slipped into the hallway. Placing his chin in his propped up palm, he watched as she made her way to the kitchen. She hadn’t noticed Natsu yet, too busy zipping up the rest of her dress with one hand while the other held her purse, phone, and shoes. He recognized her as one of the girls that grouped up with the three of them last night. He didn’t think Gray took a liking to her, considering how pushy she seemed, but clearly Natsu had the wrong idea.

It didn’t take long for the woman to realize she was not alone and stopped in her tracks. Lifting one of his brows, Natsu held his free hand up and gave a small wave to the startled women. She blushed instantly and frantically stumbled with the items in her hands before shyly smiling back. 

Sensing that any further interaction would cause her more embarrassment. Natsu cleared his throat and glanced at the door, hinting for her to go about her escape. The woman grinned again and nodded her head. No words needing to be exchanged before she hurried out the front door. 

Natsu snorted, finding the interaction a bit awkward himself, and pulled away from the counter. 

He was immediately reminded of his pounding headache, and decided some food would help ease his pain. Grabbing from their apartment’s select choices, he poured a bowl of surgery cereal and complimented it with a can of Red Bull as his morning drink. 

‘Ah yes. A meal fit for a king.’ He joked to himself.

Plopping down onto the couch he scrolled through his phone as he enjoyed his refined meal. He responded to a few texts and then moved to his emails. He saw an email from his boss, Gramps, the subject line suggesting that he’s already been requested for his next client. Not quite ready to see who or what this job might be, he threw his phone to the other end of the couch and let out a loud sigh.

“What’s got you so worked up this early?” Gray’s voice spoke from behind him.

“Just the usual work shit.” Natsu responded. Turning to see Gray make his way to the kitchen, he was thankfully wearing boxers. 

Gray grabbed his regular mug from the cabinet and poured himself some coffee. “You already got something scheduled?” He asked.

“Looks like it.”

“Well that didn’t last long.” Gray chuckled as he walked over and joined Natsu on the couch.

Natsu shoved a spoon full of cereal in his mouth. Swallowing the food quickly he shrugged. “That’s what happens when you are the best.” He said with a wink and a cheesy smile.

Gray threw his head back and let out a fake laugh. “HA! You are not the best.”

“Bullshit, I’m the strongest. Who else would it be?”

“Clearly me. I have the most requests.” Gray bragged.

Natsu wrinkled his nose. “Pff. Just because a bunch of girls like your stupid face, doesn’t make you the best. Plus, Mirajane definitely has us both beat with requests.” 

Gray didn’t bother to deny the statement. “Well anything is better than your ugly mug, Flame Brain.” He barked back.

“Whatever.” Natsu hissed, his headache getting the best of him as he felt the conversation making the ache worse. 

He continued to munch on his cereal while Gray turned on the TV and flicked through the stations, but nothing was ever good on at this time. Settling on some random news network, Gray shifted his attention back to Natsu. 

“Any luck last night?” He asked, taking another gulp from his coffee.

Gray didn’t have to clarify for Natsu to know what he was talking about. Dipping his head, Natsu stabbed his cereal aggressively with his spoon. “Nope.”

Sighing, Gray patted Natsu’s hunched back. “You should just give up dude. I know you don’t want to hear that, but she’s just some girl. Find a new chick to hook up with. I’m sure you’ll forget all about her.” He suggested. 

Natsu’s face scrunched at the idea. Something told him it wouldn't be that easy to forget someone like Lucy. Plus, he didn’t want to forget about her, he just wanted to see her again.   
Wanting to change the topic, Natsu took a couple more bites of his cereal and tilted his head to the front door. “Looks like you had fun last night.” 

Gray looked to the door and chuckled. “Yeah, she was cute.” 

“Ran out pretty quickly.” Natsu spat out with a full mouth.

“She had work.” Gray corrected.

“Sure she did.”

The two chatted for a bit longer before Gray finished his coffee and left to take a shower. Natsu glanced back at the TV, zoning in on the news station. They were talking about some high up businessman and his daughter. Debating who would claim the spot of marrying the woman and earning the title of president of their company. 

Shoving another spoon full of food into his already stuffed mouth, Natsu shook his head and laughed at the ridiculous topic. “I’ll never understand rich people.”

…

The strong fragrance of flowers and herbs burned Natsu’s nostrils as he sat on the floor watching Happy try to gain the little white feline, Carla’s, attention.

“So how long do you think this next job will take?” Wendy’s soft voice called to him from the small cottage kitchen.

“I’m not sure.” Natsu yelled back, hearing her grab some glassware for the tea she was brewing up for the two of them. He was never a big fan of tea, it was just hot water with leaves in it, but he sucked it up for Wendy. “I still have to do some more research into the request, but it looks like this might be a long one.”

Natsu threw himself back and laid on the floor, the rug’s rough fabric prickling his shoulders and the back of his head. “The pay is really good though…” Natsu added, almost too good for what the request was. . Maybe he was beginning to underestimate how much money the rich are able to throw around.

“Well that's always nice.” Wendy replied as she walked out of the kitchen with a tray of tea. Carla let out a loud hiss as a warning to Happy and Wendy told her feisty feline to play nice. 

The money would be a lot of help, no matter how much Natsu hated doing these types of requests. He would be able to help pay off some of the shop's debts and possibly take a vacation.

Natsu sat back up as Wendy joined him on the rug. Her long dark twin tails fluttered by her hips when she sat and placed the tray down. “I added a little more ginger in the blend this time.” Wendy said, eagerly waiting for Natsu to take a taste.

Porlyusica, Wendy’s adoptive mother, ran a local tea shop in their town. The older Wendy got, the more passionate she became about making her own blends and helping out around the store. She always wanted Natsu to help taste test her newest experiment, even though she knew Natsu wasn’t the best to critique the warm leaf-flavored water.

“This is pretty yummy.” Natsu admitted, taking a few more gulps of the drink.

Wendy giggled and rolled her eyes. “That's what you always say Natsu.”

“Well it’s not a lie, everything you make is always good.”

“Trruuueee, but this one is to help relax muscle soreness.” Wendy added, “Thought I’d make a couple bags for you in case you end up taking on this job.”

Natsu smiled and patted the top of the small girl’s head. She was like a younger sister to him, meeting her through Porlyusica and Gramps’ long running friendship. He would stay at their house more often than his own due to Wendy not wanting him to leave. 

“Thank you, but I don’t think I will have to worry about this job.” Natsu responded. “Seems like it’s going to be pretty easy and straightforward.” 

“Well just in case, here's some tea bags. Drink it after you get home for the day, right before bed.”

Natsu held his hand to his forehead and saluted the young girl. “Aye aye captain.”

The two giggled and began playing with their rowdy cats. Natsu loved moments like these with Wendy, she was the closest family he had. Just like Wendy, Natsu was adopted when he was young. He had no idea who his real parents were and he did not care to know, his adopted father Igneel being the best parent there was.

Natsu smiled at the thought of his father, the sense of pain and longing following quickly after. He didn’t like the sharp ache squeezing at his chest and quickly changed his focus back to Wendy and the cats, sparking up another conversation with her before she could notice his change in emotion.

The two caught up with each other and finally ended their visit once the sun began to set.  
Natsu let Wendy know he would keep her updated on the next job and the details of how long and when she would need to watch Happy. “See you later. Tell Porlyusica I'll stop by the shop next time.” He waved and headed back home to finish up looking over his new request.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back!
> 
> Nothing crazy for this chapter, just a small peak into Natsu's life. I'm trying to keep his job a mystery for those who still have not guessed it, but it will be revealed soon!  
> I love writing Natsu and Gray's interactions, their bickering is easiest for me to write, not sure why. Natsu's morning breakfast is based off something I watched one of my friends eat, idk how he is able to live off of RedBull and cereal, but you do you lol.  
> Again next chapter might be delayed, I'm having a bit of a crisis trying to figure out the details of the plot. I very indecisive and that is not helping at all haha, but know I'm trying my best to make this a decent story for you guys to read!  
> As usual, you all are amazing and I hope everyone is staying happy healthy and safe!


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